October 15, 2008
Leader distrust and reducing meeting attendance
If a leader doesn't trust his/her staff there are many possible reasons. Each leads to a different solution.
Follow @ITCatalysts Dear Bob ...In a recent Keep the Joint Running you advocated cutting meeting attendance in half by increasing the level of trust throughout the organization ("Unkindest cut," .
I agree with you on reducing attendance at meetings, and eliminating distrust. What do you do if the leader distrusts those in his charge?
- Distrusted
Dear Distrusted ...
If a leader distrusts those in his charge, one or more of the following might be the case:
- The leader is new and still getting a handle on his/her direct reports. Solution: Give the new leader time to get a handle on everyone.
- Those in the leader's charge are new, and the leader is still getting a handle on them. Same answer.
- Some of those in the leader's charge are fundamentally untrustworthy. Solution: Replace them with more trustworthy managers and staff.
- All of those in the leader's charge are fundamentally untrustworthy. Solution: Replace them with more trustworthy managers and staff, but first replace the leader with one who knows how to hire managers and staff who can be trusted.
- Those in the leader's charge are still developing -- capable of achieving the leader's standards of excellence, but not there yet. Solution: They should all recognize the opportunity that's in front of them, and learn how to achieve at a level beyond what they knew was possible.
- The leader is a micro-manager who defines "done right" as "done the way I would have done it." Solution: Replace the leader with someone who knows how to lead.
So instead, you'll have to accept the redundancy of both you and the leader being there. The good news: The leader's salary doesn't come out of your budget.
- Bob
